Team Gai
by Jessie0799
Summary: Snapshots of Neji's moments with his team. Neji-centric. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Rated T for language
1. Chapter 1

1\. First Impressions

When he had learned who his teammates would be, Neji was quite disappointed. How could he be put on the same squad as the worst student in his graduating class, and some average hopeful kunoichi that didn't seem to be particularly useful? He was even more displeased with his sensei, never in his life did he imagine that someone so over-the-top as Might Gai existed, nonetheless be his mentor.

Lee was the worst ranking student, he couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, and his taijutsu skills were subpar. How he even graduated, Neji did not know. The boy was, as far as he was concerned, a useless burden. However, it seemed that his sensei had taken a particular liking to Lee, which annoyed the young Hyuuga. He hated when people who chose favorites, as he believed that all of one's energy would be wasted unto a single person.

Tenten was smack in the middle in terms of ranking. Her ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu skills were all severely lacking, but she could navigate her way around any weapon she touches. Still, Neji believed she was just going to get in his way, too. His weaponry scores were not too far off, but taijutsu was his specialty, and also his preferred method in battle.

How could a genius, the top of his class, and a Hyuuga, get stuck with a team like this? Fate was playing a dirty game with him, that was what it was, there was no other explanation, his destiny was to fail, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Sick Days

Every morning at 7 am, Lee and Tenten greeted Neji at his home to make their way to the training field where Gai waited for them. This particular morning, however, he was not in his usual meditation spot, which he did from 6 am until they arrived. They knocked on the door to the Hyuuga complex, were met by one of the maids at the door.

"Oh, hello there. How can I help you?" She asked the pair.

"Hello. We are here for Neji. He is usually meditating outside but he's not there today." Tenten responded.

"Oh, well, Neji-san fell ill last night. The Hyuuga doctor has examined him already and he has been instructed to rest for the next few days. No missions, no training, just rest."

"It must really be sick to be told by a doctor that he can't do a thing," Lee spoke, a sudden glimmer flashed in his eyes, "Tenten! We must tend to our dear friend and help him get better!"

The Hyuuga maid giggled, " I would assume that he will spend the day sleeping, but you may do as you wish, I have no doubt that he will be appreciative of whatever you may do." With that, she waved goodbye and continued on with her daily routine.

"Lee, we can come back later after our training with Gai-sensei. He should know that Neji will be out of commission for a few days, anyway."

The pair began to make their way to the training grounds. They wondered what could be ailing their dearest friend.

After a long and grueling training session, Lee and Tenten found themselves browsing shelves of medicines at the local pharmacy that they thought might help make Neji feel better. They were not entirely sure what to get, exactly, so they picked up a few different bottles of pills and syrups, and a few herbal medicines as well. Surely something they had would work. After all, Gai had informed them that it was flu season, and the strain was extra powerful this year.

With their medicine in hand, they made their way back to the Hyuuga compound. Neji lived in a separate house than Hinata, Hanabi, and his uncle, there were no guards at the Branch house complex, so they walked right through the entrance and rushed their way to Neji's room. Lee knocked on the door and was met with no answer, so he knocked again.

"He must be asleep," Tenten said after both knocks were met with no response.

"Should we go in?" Lee asked.

"I guess so." Tenten knocked once more and slid the shouji door open slightly, poking her head through the opening, "Neji, we are coming in."

She stepped in, followed by Lee, who quietly slid the door shut again. They were met by their teammate who was curled up under a thick comforter, fast asleep. His skin was more pale than usual, and he had dark purple bags under his eyes, one could say that he looked like absolute hell.

Tenten set the bag of medicine down on the nightstand next to his bed, the paper crinkling as it settled. The sound was loud enough to rouse Neji from his slumber, as his eyes fluttered open.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Tenten said softly, "How are you feeling?"

Neji rolled onto his back and turned his head to look at his two teammates, "Like I got hit by a train."

"Don't worry, my friend! Tenten and I brought some medicines that will surely bring you back to your youthful self!" Lee proclaimed rather loudly. The volume of his voice gave Neji a migraine.

"Lee, please, my head hurts," Neji groaned.

Tenten opened the bag beside her, taking out a bottle of ibuprofen, "Luckily for you, I have this!" She handed him two of the pills which he gladly swallowed.

"You don't have to take care of me," Neji reiterated, "I only have the flu."

"My dear friend, of course we need to take care of you!" Lee piped up, not taking the hint from before to keep his voice down. Neji wished he hadn't woken up.

He was groggy, and slow moving. Tenten put a hand to his cheek, wondering how high his fever was since his face was so warm, "Maybe you should go back to sleep, Neji"

"That sounds like a good idea, "he laid back down in his bed as his eyes slid shut once more. Even though he didn't need his teammates to fuss over his measly flu, he was appreciative nonetheless, and he drifted off to sleep with his friends by his side.


	3. Chapter 3

3\. Sparring

It was not uncommon for Gai to spar with his students, and during these spars, he instructed the use of taijutsu only. First up was always Tenten, who without her weapons, was really no match for Gai whatsoever. She could hold her own for no more than three minutes on a good day. Lee was always second in line to match up against their sensei. Their sparring was always intense and mostly evenly matched. This was due to Gai's special training sessions with Lee. The boy had gotten immensely stronger, but his progression was still not enough to beat his sensei. The two could go at it for at least ten minutes. Neji had always sparred with their teacher last. The young Hyuuga was always a bit of a showoff.

Neji had incredible speed, dashing silently towards his sensei. He stretched his hand out as if he was using the taijutsu style of the Hyuuga, the Gentle Fist, and lunged at Gai. Gai dodged the attack, countering with a low kick, which Neji jumped and dodged. He landed in a crouching position, his feet kicking up dirt as he lunged up once more, aiming for his sensei's jaw.

Gai blocked with his arms, shoving Neji back and preparing to throw a left hook. Neji slid to the side to dodge as Gai's fist flew mere inches from his face. It was a close call for the Hyuuga boy. Their match carried on, punches, kicks, and jabs being thrown, until Gai had ultimately prevailed, a punch landing into Neji's abdomen. The force sent him flying and he hit the ground with a thud.

"Ow," he groaned as he tried to catch his breath. Any harder and he would have had the wind knocked out of him.

The outcome was always the same, none of them ever beat Gai. They were young genin, after all, it wasn't to be expected that they could beat their sensei. After Neji recovered from the blow, he stood and stretched.

"Alright my youthful students! It's time for a three against one match! Come at the with the full power of youth!" Gai exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air.

A collective 'yes, sensei' sounded off, and the genin rushed towards their teacher as a team. And even though they ended up losing that match, too, Gai was proud of how far their teamwork had come.


	4. Chapter 4

4\. After the Mission

The mission to retrieve Sasuke had been a complete failure. When Tenten first heard of Neji's arrival back to Konoha, she rushed to the hospital as quickly as they could. Lee had come back from his battle, along with Shikamaru and the Sand shinobi, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. He was worried for his teammate as well, and the group made their way to the OR waiting rooms. Tenten found Lee and Gai already sitting outside of the operating room Neji was in, along with Hinata, Hanabi, and Hiashi Hyuuga.

"How bad is it?" Tenten asked.

"It's bad. Tsunade and Shizune don't know if he's going to survive," Gai responded, looking down at the floor holding back tears. His beloved student was at death's door, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Tenten let her tears fall freely. She didn't know what she, or Lee or Gai would do without Neji at their side. As much as she tried to think of the best possible outcome, the grimness of it all pushed itself further into her heart.

Lee sat beside his sensei quietly. Neji had been adamant about helping Lee recover from his own surgery after the chuunin exams, and he would be there for Neji just the same, no matter the outcome.

It was, however, a strange sight, seeing Hiashi Hyuuga outside of the Hyuuga compound. But it was no secret now how much the man cared for his nephew, after he had told Neji the truth about his father's death. Hanabi was still young and did not understand the gravity of the situation, but she had always loved Neji, and looked up to him as a role model as she aged.

"Gai sensei?" Tenten asked shakily as she wept, "what if he doesn't make it?"

"I believe we should look towards the positive outcome, my dear Tenten. Neji is strong with a will of fire, he will pull through this," Gai responded. He looked up away from his pupil and up at his beloved student's Uncle.

Hiashi's face was also full of worry, a sight not often seen, as Hyuuga tended to hide their emotions thoroughly. Hanabi held onto her father's hand tightly while crying, she understood to some extent that her cousin might die, and she was frightened. Hinata was crying, too. She and Neji had grown closer since their battle in the chuunin exams, and when she had heard of his departure, along with Naruto, Chouji, and Kiba, she grew extremely concerned for all of their safety.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the light above the room had shut off. Shizune came bursting through the doors, running quickly down the halls to find Tsunade and tell her the good news. One of the medics exited the room as well and informed the waiting party of the surgery's success.

"He pulled through the operation. There were a few complications, and he isn't out of the woods yet, but he is stable," The medic spoke, directing his attention toward Hiashi.

A sigh of relief was released through the room, and tears of joy fell from the eyes of his teammate, sensei, and cousins, "We will be transporting him to room 307 shortly, but we ask at this time for privacy as we situate him as comfortably as we can. We had to induce a coma, so he will remain unconscious until he is almost fully recovered, and it is safe."

"Thank you," Hiashi stood, shaking the man's hand. His nephew was alive, and that's all that mattered to the man.

A week had passed since the return of the Sasuke retrieval squad, and all but Neji were released from the hospital. The young boy was still in an induced coma, and as far as team Gai was concerned, he would be until Tsunade declared him to be fully stable. Every day, Lee and Tenten sat by his bedside, eagerly waiting for Neji to wake from his sleep. Gai had been dispatched on a mission a few days prior and wouldn't return until the following week. Hinata and her younger sister, along with their father, would visit frequently to check on his condition.

"Do you think he can hear us, Tenten?" Lee asked his comrade

"I don't know, Lee. He's on so many medications keeping him asleep and out of pain, I doubt he can hear us. It would be nice if he could."

Lee sighed, "I heard that sometimes, coma patients can hear what's going on around them. Perhaps we can talk to him?"

"Go right ahead, Lee. If he can hear us, I'm sure he would be happy," She smiled softly at the eager boy. She was glad to see how much their team had grown over the last few years, especially between Lee and Neji. Lee declared Neji as his rival, but he loved him all the same.

Lee turned to look at Neji and told him about their days since his return, told him about how his family had come to visit him every day, and told him how much he was cared for by everyone. Over the week, all of the rookie twelve had come to visit the unconscious boy. They all left small notes of well wishes for him to read when he awoke.

A few days later, Tsunade had declared Neji to be out of the woods completely and began the process of reversing his coma. All were happy to hear the news, especially Lee and Tenten. Gai had returned from his mission early and joined his pupils at Neji's bedside. They chatted happily but stopped abruptly and turned their attention to the sleeping boy after a small groan uttered from his throat.

Neji opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurred, and his pale Hyuuga eyes ever so sensitive to the bright lights of the hospital room. All he could do was groan as sharp pain raced through his body. His head hurt, his throat hurt, his arms and legs were sore, he was in agony.

"Wha…" he tried to speak, but he was groggy and dizzy.

"My dearest Neji! You're awake!" Gai proclaimed, hugging Lee and Tenten tightly. The two were crying joyfully, Neji was finally awake, and he was okay!

"G-Gai...sensei?" They boy croaked. His throat was burning, and his mouth was dry.

"Yes, Neji. It's me," Gai quieted his voice as to not make his student's headache worse. "You've been asleep for over a week, but you're okay. You made it out alive. Lee and Tenten are here, too."

"Lee and Tenten?" Neji turned his head slightly, blinking through the brightness of the room. He saw his two sobbing teammates, and a feeling of elation washed over him. His feelings seemed to squash the pain coursing through his aching body.

He tried to sit himself up, but his weak arms and dizzy head were not having it, and he collapsed back onto the bed, "ow…"

"Here," Tenten stood, "Let us help you. Lee, come here."

Together, the pair assisted their injured teammate into a sitting position, arranging the pillows high behind him so he could lean back comfortably.

"How do you feel?" Tenten asked Neji.

"Everything hurts," he winced as he leaned back into the pillows. He could feel a stinging pain where he had been impaled by his opponent's arrows, which went through his lower abdomen and shoulder. "The room is spinning."

"Just relax, my youthful student, don't strain yourself any further, you need to let your body heal" Gai placed his hand on Neji's shoulder, reassuring him that everything was alright. He stood and left the room in search of a nurse.

"I don't understand how I'm alive," Neji whispered to himself. He was fully prepared to die in that forest. He lifted a hand to his face, feeling the bandages where he had been slashed by another arrow. He hoped it didn't scar.

"You can't die so easily, Neji," Lee spoke, as he and Tenten had overheard what he said to himself.

He sighed, remembering how he had allowed himself to be struck for the third time. He knew he couldn't dodge the attack, but he still felt shame over it, "I gave up."

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked with concern. Those were words she never thought she would hear Neji say. Lee was a bit shocked, as well.

"I gave up."

"You killed him, Neji. He didn't kill you. If you had truly given up, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Neji looked over at his teammates. Never in his small life did he think he would find friends such as them. The smiles they wore on their faces as they spoke to him made him feel warm and safe. Tenten was right, had he given up, he would have died.

A nurse entered the room followed by Gai and Tsunade. He must have caught the Hokage as she made her rounds through the hospital. She often visited the admitted shinobi because she cared about their wellbeing.

"Im happy to see your recovery is going well. How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked.

"Aside from the pain and dizziness, I'm feeling okay," He felt better since he had woken up a while ago. The love he felt from his teammates seemed to quell some of the more uncomfortable aspects he still had to recuperate from.

"Luckily for you, it's time for you medicine," The nurse said. She handed him some water and a pill, which he gladly swallowed, "This is going to make you sleepy, okay?"

Neji nodded, "Thank you."

The nurse smiled and quickly exited the room. Tsunade wished him well and also left to continue her rounds, leaving Neji alone with his teammates and sensei. They talked for a while about how their training was going, and how Lee was recovering from his own surgery. They talked about how they had come to see him every day, how they had missed him, how they had waited rather impatiently for when he would wake up. It didn't take long before Neji began to feel the effects of the medicine he had taken not long ago. The pain had dulled, and sleep began to take over, though he had fought it as best as he could. Before he drifted off into a deep and comfortable sleep, he turned to Lee.

"By the way," He paused to yawn, "I could hear you." And with that, he ultimately lost his battle against the land of dreams, falling off under the watchful eyes of his team, who loved him.

"It's getting late, my students. Let's let him rest, we can come back tomorrow after training," Gai ushered Lee and Tenten up from their chairs.

They would come back every day until Neji was released from the hospital a week later. The young Hyuuga was happy to see them each time, his smile growing with each passing day. He was happier to see his team than his own family, and he wouldn't want it any different.


	5. Chapter 5

5\. The Fight

For the first time in almost two years, Neji and Lee broke out into a fight. Lee had accused the Hyuuga of cheating during their sparring match and using a burst of chakra to deflect one of his attacks. Neji was having none of that nonsense, he was not a cheater in any way, and he would not stand to be accused as such. Gai and Tenten watched as both boys pummeled each other. It was no use in trying to stop the brawl, because Neji had a hard time being held back when he was pissed off, and Lee would instigate further.

The fight had started as a mere argument, Lee calling Neji a cheater, and Neji calling Lee delusional. Seeing Lee as angry as he was at that moment was a very rare sight; the boy was always happy and cheerful. Neji, however, had a temper that superseded the likes of his upbringing. Hiashi had said to him one day that he was just like his father in that aspect.

Lee threw the first punch, which caught Neji by surprise. Shocked by the blow, he was unprepared for the next one that came his way. Now he was even more pissed. Lee had landed two punches and he was not prepared to fight. Neji practically exploded into a fit of rage, lunging at Lee, who attempted to land a third strike, this time, however, it didn't land, and the boy found himself on the ground underneath his Hyuuga teammate. Neji began his assault upon Lee, repeatedly striking his face as he struggled underneath him.

Lee had managed to switch their positions for a moment, landing as many blows as he could before he was shoved backwards. The two rolled around in the dirt, thoroughly bludgeoning the other. Tenten began to get annoyed. She was used to seeing this when they were newly graduated genin and had despised each other, they were all fifteen now, she thought they were much too old to be brawling as they were. Both had managed to get away from the other, standing and running towards the other with their fists pulled back. Simultaneously the blows landed, sending each boy flying back, landing hard on the ground. Lee didn't get up, leaving Neji, once again, the victor. He had no time to celebrate, as he had promptly passed out himself. Tenten and Gai sighed, what were they going to do with them?

Tenten tended to her boys, cleaning the blood and dirt off of their faces as best as she could, applying a few bandages she kept in her bag. When they both woke, Gai gave them a stern talking to abut teamwork and bonds. Lee ended up in tears, as usual, and Neji just crossed his arms and looked down at his feet ashamed of his childish actions that day. Gai had forced them to apologize, much to Neji's chagrin, and that was the end of it. Over the next few days, their relationship had returned to normal. They agreed to never have a petty fight again.


	6. Chapter 6

6\. Dreams

Neji, Lee, and Tenten were fresh out of the academy and still adjusting to their new life together as a team. They didn't know much about each other, and Gai was trying to change that with a series of ice breakers. Neji despised ice breakers. Lee seemed excited to get to know his comrades, as did Tenten. But their brooding teammate was not having it.

"Yosh! It is time, my dearest pupils, to share your dreams as shinobi!" Gai exclaimed, punching the air above him.

Lee volunteered to go first, "I dream of being the best taijutsu user in the history of Konoha! I want to be a great shinobi even though I can't use chakra!"

Tenten spoke next, "I dream of being as strong and as beautiful as the legendary Tsunade!"

"Both are very good dreams, my youthful students! And Neji, what are your dreams?" Gai proclaimed, looking at the young Hyuuga boy who looked less than amused.

"I have no dreams," the boy stated, "fate has already determined my destiny, and I cannot change it."

"There is no such thing as fate! You are in the prime of your youth! There must be something you wish to become."

Neji remained silent. He had already said what he needed to say, and he would not speak on the matter and further. He was born into this world to be Hinata's protector, nothing more, nothing less. He would live to serve her and die for her to survive. There was nothing he could do to change the path of his life.

"Neji, please answer my question again. I am not satisfied with your answer," Gai stated firmly.

He was only met with an intense glare, and no longer bothered the boy with any further questions. Gai knew of Neji's childhood, and as much as he didn't want it to get in the way, he understood that it would take time for him to come around. Lee and Tenten had no idea of Neji's past sufferings, not understanding why their new comrade was so cold; it would stay that way for as long as he could help it.


	7. Chapter 7

7\. The River's Beach

Konoha had been hit by a heat wave, temperatures reaching into the low hundreds. Team Gai found themselves sitting beside one of Konoha's smaller rivers. This particular one had a small beach beside it, but it wasn't a very popular swimming destination due to its location deep in the woods.

Neji sat under a shady tree in nothing but his shorts. Tenten secretly marveled at the sight of her shirtless teammate, appreciating his toned torso and muscular arms. As sharp as the Hyuuga's eyes were, he didn't seem to notice the frequent glances from his female teammate. Tenten slipped out of her dress, revealing the rather scandalous bikini she wore beneath it. She hoped to gain Neji's attention, but he never paid any mind to her womanly figure. Instead, Lee would find himself gaping at her as she lay on a blanket under the sweltering hot sun. She didn't care how hot it was, she was determined to get somewhat of a tan. Lee splashed happily in the river with their sensei in an attempt to cool off.

"Neji, my youthful friend, don't just sit there, please come and join us!" Lee yelled out.

"No," Neji responded curtly. He was now a jounin at the age of sixteen, much too old to be splashing about like a child.

"C'mon, my friend!"

"No."

"Please?" Lee cried. He wanted his dearest friend to have fun with him.

"I will not splash around like a child."

"Then I challenge you to a sparring match atop the river!" Lee declared.

It was easier for Neji to stabilize himself atop moving water than it was for Lee, however he had grown better over the last year. His balance was not great, but it would do. Always up for a sparring match against his comrade, Neji agreed after a few moments of contemplation. He stood from his shady spot under the trees and easily walked onto the surface of the water in which Lee had already perched himself.

The young men began their match as Gai cheered them on. Tenten watched Neji in awe as he moved, but the Hyuuga was too busy focusing on the sparring match to pay any mind to his wide-eyed teammate.

Neji went through the motions of the Gentle Fist, obviously without the chakra and landed a few strikes before Lee lost his footing and promptly sunk into the river. Neji couldn't help but snicker, that was, until he felt two hands around his ankles and he suddenly found himself submerged under the water. Gai and Tenten could only watch as Neji, after thoroughly drowning the spandex clad boy, emerged from the depths, looking more pissed off than they had ever seen.

Then they burst out into a fit of laughter which garnered a glare from the Hyuuga. Lee crawled up the bank of the river, hacking up some water he had swallowed during Neji's assault. Neji made an attempt to dry off, wringing the water out of his long chocolate hair as best as he could. Lee, soaking wet as well, removed his spandex down to his underwear, which made Tenten a bit uncomfortable. Neji could live in his wet shorts, he had more dignity than to strip down to his boxers. At least he still had a dry shirt to put on.


	8. Chapter 8

8\. The First Mission

The very first mission Neji ever went on was to deliver mission reports to a neighboring village, it was a measly d-rank mission, one that any person alone could do. Neji didn't understand why a four-man team was needed to deliver some mail.

His sensei, Gai, had taken this opportunity to train his students in speed. They would run the whole way to the village, and the whole way back. The running only totaled two hours, one hour there, and one hour home. How pathetic, Neji kept saying to himself. He had passed with the best scores, but he was sent on a ridiculous mail delivery mission with some mediocre kunoichi and a useless taijutsu user. The only action he had that day was running, which was easy for him, seeing as speed and agility were effortless.

"My youthful students, you have completed your very first mission as shinobi! Now, I understand that this was a simple task, but as you progress, things will become more and more challenging. But do not fret, as I will be your mentor through it all!" Gai proclaimed to his beloved students, throwing his arm out in front of him with his thumb up.

"Yes, Gai sensei!" Lee shouted, throwing his own thumb up. The boy was becoming a replica of their sensei in personality.

They were thanked for their efforts by the Hokage, and Gai dragged them off to begin what he described as youthful training. Tenten and Lee were slightly winded from the run home, while Neji was collected and his breathing was normal. At least he knew he could spar when they got to the training grounds, he needed more battle and less delivering some stupid mail.


	9. Chapter 9

8\. Apologies

"I'm sorry," Neji declared to his rather stunned teammates.

The two were curious as to what he was apologizing for, it was completely out of the blue. He had done nothing to upset them.

"Why are you sorry, my dear friend?" Lee asked, moderately confused.

He looked down at his feet for a few moments, very obviously upset with himself, "I have not been a good friend."

"Neji, what are you talking about?" Tenten was growing a bit concerned now.

He looked up and met their eyes with a look of shame, "I have been a bad friend, and I apologize for it."

"You haven't done anything wrong," Lee said, "you have not been a bad friend."

Neji sighed. He had been thinking a lot lately about his relationship with his comrades. It was rocky in the beginning, but they had grown much closer over the years. Even still, it didn't seem to satisfy him.

"I've just been thinking a lot about how I used to be."

"I don't understand what you mean by that," Tenten claimed.

"When we were younger, I was not very kind to either of you," he looked towards Lee, "I was especially ruthless to you, Lee. I am sorry for the treatment I gave you."

"I have never considered you to be a bad friend, Neji," Lee said reassuringly. He glanced at Tenten with concern. Something must have happened for him to have brought the subject up.

"I appreciate the apology, but I have not looked at you as a bad friend, or even a bad person. But I am confused as to where this is coming from."

"Yeah, what sparked this?" Tenten asked.

"The glass frame I have in my room of our team photo cracked suddenly a few days ago."

Still puzzled, Tenten asked him to elaborate further. She didn't quite understand why a broken picture frame would spark him to suddenly feel the need to apologize.

"I don't know. It just made me think about how I treated you both in the past. It reminded me of how I considered you to be nusinces to me, how you would only get in my way," he looked back down at his feet, "I am deeply sorry for that."

"Neji," Tenten said softly, "that's all in the past. We've grown up since then, and quite honestly, I never held a grudge against you for it."

"Yes, my friend," Lee began, also speaking with a soft tone, "Tenten is right."

"You should hate me. I was horrible."

"We never hated you, Neji. Sure, we got pissed off at times, but we never held anything against you," Lee reassured him.

"We love you, and we always have. You were troubled back then, we understood where the anger was coming from. Yeah, we didn't like that you took it out on us, but we were also the only people that you were really around. You had nobody else back then," Tenten placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, he tilted his head up to meet her eyes, "we have never held that against you."

"Even if that's true, I'm still sorry."

"Listen, you are like our little brother, and everything Lee and I have said is true. Nevertheless, I do appreciate and accept your apology."

"As do I" Lee agreed.

A sad smile graced his lips, "Thank you."

"Come here," Tenten pulled him into a bear hug, Lee joining soon after, "Do you feel better now after getting that off your chest?"

"Yes, I do. A lot better."

"Good. How about we go get some ice cream or something?" Tenten suggested.

"That sounds nice. It will be my treat," Neji smiled happily.

The three walked to their favorite ice cream shop, chatting it up along the way. Neji was happy to know he was loved by his friends, and they were happy to see him happy.

"Oh, by the way," he spoke up while they were enjoying their frozen treats, "I love you guys, too."


	10. Chapter 10

10\. Side Effect

Lee and Tenten were confused as to what was going on. Neji was over a half hour late to their morning training session, and Gai was beginning to grow concerned for his young student. Neji made it a point to be early everywhere he went, so something, they all agreed, was wrong.

"Gai-sensei, should we go check on Neji?" Lee asked.

"Let's give it until the hour mark, the Hyuuga may be having an unscheduled meeting this morning," he replied. It was an excuse, for sure, he didn't know why his student was late, but he didn't want Lee or Tenten to worry more than they already were.

Neji showed up to the training grounds just before the hour mark, staggering a bit as he walked. His face was void of expression, and his skin was practically paper white.

"Neji, my youthful comrade, I am glad to see you!" Lee proclaimed, to which Neji recoiled, grasping his head as if he were in pain.

"Are you alright, Neji?" His sensei asked, approaching him to get a better look. The entirety of his under eyes were purple, it almost looked like he hadn't slept in a week.

"I am fine. I just overslept is all, and I have a migraine but it's not that bad," he stumbled as far from Gai as he could, not wanting to be examined or questioned any further, "alright then, if you need to rest at any point, please do so."

"Okay, yeah, sure," He said curtly.

Lee and Tenten decided they would leave him alone for the remainder of their time together that day, he seemed to be irritated and they didn't want to make him more agitated. Gai began their training, starting with basic stretches and warmups before moving into the sparring sessions. Neji was assigned to spar with Lee while Tenten and Gai watched. Gai observed his student intently, trying to gauge the situation. Neji's movements were slow yet sporadic, his balance was poor. Lee had gotten the upper hand easily and Neji was visibly distressed about falling behind. He would not be beaten by Lee, there was no way he would allow it, no matter how terrible he felt. He charged as fast as his body would allow ready to strike when he suddenly became dazed and faltered. He collapsed and his muscles began to seize.

"Gai-sensei, what's happening?" Lee questioned.

Gai rushed over to his student to assess the situation, "It looks like he's having a seizure."

"Is he going to be okay? Should we go get a medic?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, go get a medic!"

The two genin dashed off towards the hospital to alert a medic to the situation while providing emergency care. He undid the collar on his jacket and rolled him onto his side to keep his airways open until the seizure stopped. All he could do was wait for Lee and Tenten to arrive with a medic in tow.

Seven minutes passed before the convulsions stopped, "Neji, can you hear me?"

"What's going on?" he mumbled with slightly slurred speech, "I don't feel good."

"You had a seizure, but you're okay. Lee and Tenten went to get medic, they'll be here soon." Gai reassured.

"Am I going to the hospital? I don't want to go to the hospital."

"I don't know, kiddo, the medic will let us know, okay? Just stay calm, okay?"

"I'm tired."

"You need to stay awake for me, okay? Can you stay awake?"

"I don't know."

Lee and Tenten busted through the trees with a medic behind them. Gai explained what had happened and how long the seizure lasted, to which the medic determined he would most definitely need to go to the hospital.

"Neji-san, you have to go to the hospital, okay?" The medic spoke softly.

All he got in response was a groan as the young Hyuuga's world went black.

There were voices around him, voices he recognized, but he couldn't make out what they were saying, it all sounded like a bunch of gibberish. He opened his eyes and saw blurry figures over him, one was green and the other was tan. He knew they were Gai-sensei and his uncle, but they were still fuzzy. As his vision cleared, he looked around the room, he was in the hospital, but had no recollection of when or how he got there.

"Neji?" someone called his name, it sounded like his uncle.

He turned his head slightly, it felt like it was about to explode, all he could muster up was a small hum of acknowledgment as he was still groggy.

"Neji I need you to wake up," Hiashi spoke softly as to not irritate his headache further.

"I am... awake," he murmured, barely audible.

Hiashi pursed his lips, "I don't know who did it but when I find out, there's going to be consequences."

"What…? What happened?"

"You had a seizure, Neji, do you remember?" Gai said.

"No."

Gai turned to Hiashi with concern, "How exactly do you know his seal was activated?"

"His chakra is all over the place. And you said he complained of a migraine shortly before the seizure. Hizashi would have seizures after his seal was activated, typically within the next day or two."

The mention of his father made Neji perk up a bit, "what about my father?"

Hiashi's expression grew sad, "Nothing, it's not anything you need to worry about, okay? But I need you to tell me who activated your seal."

Neji didn't give any response and just blankly stared at the ceiling still a bit dazed and confused.

"He's still a bit out of it, I guess," Gai indicated, "Is there anyone you could think of?"

Hiashi thought for a minute, going over each Hyuuga who knew how to trigger the seal, "The only person I can think of is my father. He has held a grudge against him since the chuunin exams. He actually wanted to punish him for publicizing clan matters, but I refused. I suppose he took it into his own hands, if he's the one who did this."

Neji began to ramble aloud, "I... miss him. I miss my father…"

"I know, I do too," Hiashi susurrated to his distraught nephew, "Neji, I need you to tell me something, please."

"Hm?"

"Did your grandfather use your seal?"

"Mhm."

"Okay, thank you. I will be back to check on you later, I have business to attend to."

Hiashi left the room in search of his father. He had declared several months ago that the seal was no longer to be used, but Hiroko had not abided by the new Hyuuga law. The man was furious that his nephew was suffering and was determined to handle the situation. Gai was left with his student who was still clearly confused as a result of the seizure. He looked as though he was fighting with himself to remain conscious.

"Neji, you can go back to sleep now," Gai assured him, "everything will be alright, okay?"

"Hm, okay," he crooned. He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.

A couple days passed before Neji was released from the hospital. He had no memory of the day he had his seizure, nor did he recall confessing to who activated his seal which caused the seizure in the first place. His uncle assured him that everything was taken care of, and he wouldn't have to worry about his grandfather abusing his power any longer. He never found out what exactly happened between his uncle and grandfather, but he didn't question it, as long as he never had to go through that ordeal again.

Lee and Tenten were upset to know that Neji had suffered by the hands of his grandfather, but they were happy to see he had recovered well. For the next few days they were careful and kept the training light as to not trigger another seizure. Neji had reassured them that it was okay, that it only happened after his seal was activated. They still wanted to be cautious, not wanting to see him go through it again.

"Hey, uh," Neji started, "thanks for caring about me."

"You don't need to thank us, Neji, we just want to see you healthy," Lee assured.

"Yeah," Tenten said, "oh, and god forbid it were to happen again, could you please tell us?"

Neji smiled, a genuine smile, "yeah, okay, I promise I will."


End file.
